Springdale girls soccer sets big goal: ‘We want gold this year’

By: Michael Love
Thursday, August 8, 2024 | 9:28 PM

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Hailey Marchlewski remembers how she and her Springdale girls soccer teammates felt after a pair of tough postseason setbacks, first by one goal to Freedom in the WPIAL Class A semifinals and then to rival Riverview, 3-1, in the PIAA quarterfinals.

“We’re excited to get back out there because we came so close last year,” said Marchlewski, who forms a potent offensive punch with the likes of senior returnees Briana Ross and Molly Hurley.

“We’ve put in the work all summer. Even without our coaches, we would come to the field and run a few miles. We’re really in shape for the season. We have high expectations again.”

The summer training — the girls gathered one final time for a voluntary workout Thursday evening — leads into the start of preseason practices Monday.

“We starting meeting three times a week, and it slowly progressed to four,” Ross said. “We can really see the work we did is going to pay off with being able to concentrate on more specific things in practices coming up. It also is going to help with how we handle the more challenging games. It is so competitive when we’re on the field together.”

The focus, Marchlewski said, is on taking that next step.

Springdale girls soccer has made the WPIAL playoffs each of the past six seasons. The Dynamos, in addition to last year’s run to the WPIAL final four, were runners-up to Freedom in the 2022 Class A title game at Highmark Stadium.

The team also reached the WPIAL semifinals in 2021 and the quarterfinals in 2020 and 2018.

“Were pretty proud of the fact that we’ve made the playoffs this many times in a row,” Marchlewski said. “It shows the consistency in the program and how much we want it each season. It takes work to win the games we need to win to do well enough in the section to make it to the playoffs.”

The Dynamos produced 5.1 goals a game last year en route to a 16-5 overall record and a 9-3 mark in Section 4-A.

“With all we have coming back and the new players coming in, we should be really strong offensively,” Marchlewski said. “That is something we did struggle with at times last year. With some small changes, I think the offense can be even better.”

Ross had a monster junior year as she finished with one of the top goal totals in the WPIAL. She scored 51 times and added 23 assists.

Ross enters her senior season with 90 career goals to go along with 60 assists.

Hurley added 15 goals and 12 assists, while Marchlewski contributed 11 goals and eight assists.

Ross and Hurley, along with midfield graduate Ashley Ross, earned all-WPIAL honors for Class A.

Senior defender Brooke Taliani earned all-section laurels. In addition to her standout play in the backfield, she helped set up nine Springdale goals.

“Our goals are the same this year. We want to get back to Highmark and win the WPIAL title,” Hurley said. “The pieces are in place to do that. We’ve finished everywhere in the playoffs the past several seasons. We want gold this year.”

Hurley said games together in the spring in Harmar helped develop some positive momentum.

“Some of the younger girls from junior high were able to play with us too, so they got a chance to experience a pretty fast-paced game,” she said.

Hurley said she’s anxious to get into preseason practices with her Dynamos teammates and work on connecting with each other.

“We want to be as sharp as possible with certain plays that can result in goals for us,” said Hurley, who tallied a hat trick in Springdale’s 6-2 WPIAL quarterfinal win over No. 3 Charleroi.

“We have new girls coming up who will definitely work in and help the offense be even stronger. Knowing each other already, it’s going to be so positive to build on what is already in place.”

The WPIAL realigned the girls soccer sections in the offseason, and the Springdale players, Ross said, expected to be paired up again with Riverview and Greensburg Central Catholic.

The Dynamos finished third in the section last year behind the undefeated Raiders and the Centurions.

Springdale and GCC split their season series with each winning on their home field.

“Those games will be pretty intense again,” Ross said. “We know they will be close games. They will come down to who wants it more.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Springdale